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Preface
No one seems to deny that there is a need for a book about business travel and tourism. After all: 䊉
this form of tourism involves, in general, a higher level of per head spending than any other type of tourism
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the business traveller is the core market for most airlines and hotel chains business tourism and the business tourist are serviced by their own infrastructure of specialist suppliers and marketing intermediaries which operate in parallel to that which supports leisure tourism business tourism is the major form of tourism in many urban destinations
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business tourism has its own unique physical facilities such as convention and exhibition centres.
Although relatively recent in origin, there is clear evidence that business travel and tourism is coming of age, both as a field of study and as an area requiring specialist management. In the last few years a number of business tourism courses and modules have been established, while a number of professional bodies now exist in the area of business tourism. Hopefully this book will be another small step towards business tourism gaining the recognition it deserves. The book has been structured in, what we hope the reader will agree, is a logical manner. In Part One, the authors define business travel and tourism and talk a little about its historical development. They identify the different types of business travel and tourism, from the individual business trip to major conventions and exhibitions to incentive travel packages, training courses to product launches. Chapters 3 and 4 then focus on the demand and supply side of the industry, respectively, while Chapter 5 looks at the role of the destination in business travel and tourism. Part One ends with two chapters on the macro-environment of business travel and tourism and its economic, social and environmental impacts. Part Two concentrates on the development and management of business travel and tourism in terms of its physical and the human infrastructure, as well as the marketing of the business travel and tourism product. The book then changes to the practical side of business travel and tourism, in Part Three. Chapter 11 looks at the key issues involved in the organization of business tourism events, with Chapter 12 offering examples of good practice. The final chapter in Part Three offers seven detailed interactive exercises to provide an opportunity for the reader to think about what is involved in organizing business tourism events, designing business tourism facilities or marketing business travel and tourism destinations. The aim throughout Part Three is to encourage good practice and professionalism. Part Four looks at a range of challenges that the authors believe will face business travel and tourism in the future. The penultimate part, Part Five, features a variety of detailed case studies, designed to illustrate points and issues covered in the text. Part Six consists of a glossary of terms – a valuable explanation of some of the jargon used in this specialist field of tourism. A full bibliography, provides a wide variety of relevant references for the reader who wishes to look deeper into issues raised in this book.